Sticker Shock

West Virginians are going to pay more for health insurance under Obamacare than the president and his cronies insisted for years. That is virtually inevitable, as a report from the government itself shows.

For Obamacare to work, about 40 percent of those enrolling must be between 18-34 years of age. By paying unnecessarily high premiums because the program requires them to obtain coverage they don’t need, younger enrollees subsidize care for older people.

Obamacare promoters were not able to hit even half that 40-percent target in West Virginia. According to a government report issued Monday, only about 17 percent of insurance enrollees in the state are between 18-34.

Adding to the challenge is that 45 percent of West Virginia residents who have enrolled in Obamacare are between 55 and 64 years old. That group is especially expensive to insure.

No other state had a higher percentage of enrollees in the 55-64 age group, according to the government report. Wisconsin had the same 45 percent.

West Virginians who signed up (or tried to) for Obamacare already are suffering from sticker shock. For many, even with government subsidies, the only insurance they can afford is the Obamacare “bronze” plan. It pays only 60 percent of health care treatment costs – and carries a deductible of $5,081 ($10,386 for a family).

Obamacare already is a bad deal for most West Virginians. If premiums increase as a result of the government missing its target of 40-percent enrollment by young people, the cost will be even worse.

West Virginia’s delegation in Congress should take that as their cue to lead a coalition of Democrats and Republicans to repeal Obamacare. How much more bad news do they need to take action on behalf of constituents?